In frustrating year, Rory McIlroy finds silver lining

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits his tee shot on the second hole during the first round of the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club on December 5, 2013 in Thousand Oaks, California.(Photo: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images)

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Rory McIlroy had his rough patches in 2013, but he believes his game is coming around

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — During a long year that has just three more competitive rounds on the calendar, a year that tested his patience, nerve and well being, Rory McIlroy learned quite a few things.

Through his struggles on the golf course and his battles with the noise off the course, which included defending his equipment overhaul, lawsuits and relationship rumors involving his girlfriend, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, McIlroy learned success is not measured in just wins and losses.

So when he won the Australian Open last week with a last-hole birdie to beat the planet's hottest golfer, Adam Scott, by one shot, his first victory in 13 months, McIlroy didn't go overboard celebrating.

"Regardless of the results, I knew that my game was coming around, and that was the most important thing," McIlroy said at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club. "Obviously, it was nice to win ... But I felt my game the last couple of months has been on an upward trend and it's been improving all the time. It was nice that some of the hard work and the practice that I have put in came to fruition last week."

He fired a 1-over-par 73 Thursday to fall six shots off the pace in the World Challenge on Thursday.

McIlroy, a two-time major winner and last year's Player of the Year on both the PGA Tour and European Tour, was visibly frustrated with his play on multiple occasions this season, most notably when he walked off the course after 27 holes at the Honda Classic, where he was the defending champion.

As he reflected back on the year, he came to realize more work needs to be done – not only on his golf swing, but his attitude on the course.

"I've said this all along, I'm very hard on myself," said McIlroy, who started the year as the world's No. 1 player.. "I feel like I'm emotionally connected to my golf game in terms of, if I play bad, I'll be in a bad mood. If I play well, I'll be in a good mood. Sometimes I feel like I need to differentiate that.

"The way I play golf shouldn't determine who I am as a person. That's sort of been the case sometimes this year. I've sort of gotten really hard on myself, and that's sort of carried through not just in my golf game, it's just how I am, my demeanor and everything. So that's something I feel like I've gotten better at and something I need to continue to get better at."

It became tougher to handle his emotions with all the goings on off the golf course, where he changed management, had to deny break-up rumors with Wozniacki, and say repeatedly that the equipment wasn't at the root of his struggles.

Tabloids attacked, bloggers blared, stories piled up.

"I guess it's hard not to listen to it," he said. "But you have to try to block it out and not listen to it. I've said all along, if you feel like you're on the right track and working on the right things and you're doing the right things to get better, you will come back. … It's the first year I've really had that much criticism and scrutiny. I feel like I've learned to deal with it much better."

Presently, he's feeling pretty good about his golf game. And he's happy an extended break is on the horizon. He'll start 2014 in the Middle East and hit the U.S. mainland for the first time in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, beginning Feb. 19.

All, he said, was not lost in a 2013 season that tested his mettle.

"What I was happy with the most was the limited amount of times that I have gotten in contention this year, I have played well. I've played well under pressure, and that is something that I really have improved on the last few years," McIlroy said. "You look at some of my earlier days, and I would feel like I would get into contention pretty easily and not be able to finish it off. I feel like now it's almost the other way. Once I get a sniff, I feel like I'm pretty solid and really have a chance."